Dan Walters' Capitol Q&A

Question: How much do California's businesses, households and public sector spend on health care as it is today? Specifically, how much money is there sloshing around in the California's health care system? How does this compare against the various health care proposals out there in terms of total cost and coverage?
-- Alex Lantsberg, San Francisco

Answer: It's not a precisely known number but it's generally believed that somewhere between $150 and $200 billion a year is being spent today. The governor's plan would boost that, but by how much is unknown. The direct cost is estimated at $12 billion a year but the mandate on individuals to carry insurance would add to that by some unknown amount.
--Dan Walters

Question: Are we correct that the proposed health coverage for all in California will cost over $12 billion annually? How can this state, already bankrupt, afford this additional cost and why do politicians fail to read the financial reports? Are we a socialist state? Business now expands outside California! Don't you agree at some point the burden of all the previous bond issues needed for the California infastructure and Davis California union employee pension giveaways will come home to roost. How can this political attitude go on without a major spending surplus? We are already the highest taxed state!
-- John, San Jose

Answer: The governor proposes that the $12 billion come from levies - he calls them fees - on doctors, hospitals and employers and from new federal funds, not the state budget.
--Dan Walters

Question: Your response to a question about public campaign financing for political campaigns stated that it won't happen soon, nor would it solve many of our political problems. Do financial contributions influence elected officials in favor of monied interests, and therefore against the 'common good'?
-- R.V., Redding

Answer: Campaign contributions absolutely affect political decision-making, but that said, the question is whether eliminating or severely limiting them would have a net positive or negative effect. Experience at both state and federal levels strongly indicates that such restrictions merely foster ever-more-creative ways of exerting such influence , but also drive it underground so that it's more difficult for the public and the media to figure out what's happening. That's especially true because the Bill of Rights guarantees free speech, thus imposing limits on how far anyone can go toward restricting political speech or action. Legislators and other politicians make decisions with immense financial consequences, which means that those with stakes in the outcome will do whatever they can to influence the outcome and if campaign contributions are closed as an avenue of influence, other, perhaps more insidious, pathways will be opened.
--Dan Walters

Question: As a multi-generational Californian I am non-plused at the lack of interest being shown by the state in general toward the deplorable conditions of our Northern California levies. I clearly remember serving as a young National Guardsman Yuba City and Marysville during the Christmas season of 1955. What explains this bureaucratic dithering?
-- Quinton Kruse, Santa Rosa

Answer: Actually, the levies are getting a lot of attention. Over the summer, with an emergency $500 million state appropriation, critical levees along the Sacramento River and its tributaries were shored up and voters approved a multi-billion-dollar levee bond issue in November. More may be needed but the disaster in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina was a wakeup call for California.
--Dan Walters

Question: Recently I read a artical in the Bee regarding the possible bribbing of a Califonia Highway Patrol commissioner in the procurement of the CHP BMW motorcycles. Has there bee any settelment or conviction in this matter? If so, where could I secure a copy of such information? Mahalo,
-- Charles Clark, Kailua, Hawaii

Answer: As far as we know, there's no action being contemplated against former CHP Commissioner Spike Helmick, who has retired. He was at the center of reports that top CHP officials were entertained by motorcycle maker BMW.
--Dan Walters

Question: There is a lot of interest in health care reform this year. How is SB840 faring? Will the supporters of this bill be able to override a veto if necessary?
-- Rodney Mara, Stockton

Answer: While a single-payer health care system (SB840) is favored by most Democrats, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rejects it, and if that's the only health care bill that reaches his desk, he'll probably veto it and the veto would no doubt be sustained. He's seeking a hyrbrid system in which the state is only indirectly involved.
--Dan Walters

Question: Reaching way back, how would you compare the legislative abilities (especially in being able to get things done) of the current crop to, say, Bob Monigahn, Gene Chappie, Jerry Lewis, Carley Porter, Senator Burns and the like from the 1970s?
-- Terry, Auburn

Answer: The current crop is less productive, but it's not especially because they are less talented or dedicated. They are trapped in a political system that is inherently dysfunctional, largely because the socioeconomic complexity of California has collided with the checks and balances of the structure. The old-timers you mentioned operated in a simpler era and would be no more productive today than the current crop, I believe.
--Dan Walters

Question: In your tribute to Leo McCarthy, you said that 5 years ago, "He masterminded a nationwide campaign to make San Francisco Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi the Democratic leader of the House..." What did he do and how did it work?
-- Larry Melby, Boulder Creek

Answer: I wrote a column about it at the time. Leo masterminded the national effort to raise money for Pelosi to funnel to Democratic congerssional members and candidates and build alliances that resulted in her becoming Democratic leader and speaker.
--Dan Walters

Question: When will we get public financing for our political campaigns?
-- Bernard E. Scoville, Sacramento

Answer: No time in the reasonably foreseeable future, nor would it in any way cure the evils of the political system.
-- Dan Walters

Question: Would the proposed change in California's presidential primary date from June to February affect all other state and local primaries as well? Or would the presidential primary be a stand-alone election? Thank you.
-- Doug Brown, Thousand Oaks

Answer: It would a stand-alone election and primary for other offices would be held in June. But any pending ballot measures that had qualified for ballot at that time would go on February ballot.
--Dan Walters

Question: As a former SF resident I have watched the Mayor Newsom drama with interest. My question is, if he were to resign who would finish his term? I am also curious as to how the Board of Supervisors could or would benefit from the Mayor resigning. I read through the city charter but could not find an answer.
-- Katie Cook, Chico

Answer: Under SF's charter, the president of Board of Supervisors would become acting mayor if Newsom resigned and he or she would serve until board appointed a mayor to serve until the office was filled by special election, or the remainder of the term if there's less than a year remaining on the term. Obviously members of the board would be the leading candidates for the job.
--Dan Walters

Question: Do people working on commissions and boards for the governor and the state receive compensation? Is there a master list of all the commissions and boards in existence? Thank you.
-- Doug Brown, Thousand Oaks

Answer: It depends on the board. Some boards are considered full-time and have salaries that reflect that, while many compensate no more than $100 per day, typically for one meeting a month. There's no rhyme or reason to any of it. A complete list of state agencies, including the boards, with their websites is avalable at http://www.ca.gov/agencyindex.html.
--Dan Walters

Question: What are the chances of California changing its primary date to something earlier than June? When might we know whether or not such a change goes through?
-- Veronica Tincher, Palo Alto

Answer: The chances are quite high for moving the presidential primary to February. And if it happens it should happen rather quickly.
-- Dan Walters